Jersey Trail

The Jersey Trail starts in L’Anse au Clair and follows the shoreline towards the Quebec border. The trail takes you to the former settlement of L’Anse au Cotard. This area is called the Jersey Shore, because the original settlers were from Jersey (one of the channel islands between France and England).

If you are driving into L’Anse au Clair from Blanc Sablon, turn right at the Labrador Visitor Centre (an old white wooden church). Take that street down to Oceanview Drive and turn right again. Follow that road past the houses and dock to the very end. There is a gravel parking area where the trail begins.

There is also a section of the trail near St. Andrew’s Church and the beach. It does not join up with the main trail, unless you wanted to walk along Oceanview Drive.

We walked the trail in June, and as you can see, spotting icebergs was not a problem. It’s an easy gravel trail that’s fairly level. There are lots of interpretive signs along the way. You can clearly see what’s left of the old telegraph line that runs all the way to Red Bay.

At the former settlement of L’Anse au Cotard, you can see the stone foundations of the original buildings. You can also see the brook where the settlers got their drinking water. There is a section of the trail that is a stone path that was laid down by the settlers.

L’Anse au Clair Attractions & Services:

L’Anse au Clair has a restaurant at the Northern Light Inn. There is a Robin’s Donuts next to the campground where you can get coffee or lunch. The convenience store is connected to the Robin’s. Take some time and check out the Home Hardware across the road from the campground. You’ll be amazed at the inventory they carry for such a small community. They helped us out with a couple of items we needed to fix on the trailer.

For groceries, you’ll probably drive over to Blanc Sablon which has a couple of large grocery stores. In the summer, Blanc Sablon stays on Atlantic Standard Time. There’s an hour and a half time difference. If you don’t remember until 6:00 PM that you ran out of something, it’s no problem, because it’s 4:30 PM in Blanc Sablon.

L’Anse au Clair has a beautiful beach and the Jersey Trail. It’s a perfect base to visit L’Anse-au-Loup, Point Amour and Forteau. You can also explore the Lower North Shore area of Quebec, which is also a beautiful area with lots to see. The only way to drive to this part of Quebec is to come through Newfoundland or Labrador.